Spanish coach of India's soccer team leaves. Sport is also troubled at the club level
The Spanish coach's only victory was in a 3-0 friendly over the Maldives in March. More important is qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup but a draw with Singapore and a 1-0 loss in Hong Kong in June has put India's chances of a third successive appearance at the tournament in doubt.
'After careful evaluation, both coach Márquez and the federation recognized that the objectives we had set out to achieve a year ago were not progressing as intended,' Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), told The Associated Press on Saturday.
'Out of mutual respect and understanding, we agreed it was best to part ways. This decision was taken in the larger interest of Indian football.'
Held two jobs
As well as being in charge of the national team, Márquez is also head coach of FC Goa, a leading club in the Indian Super League (ISL), and signed off with a Super Cup win with the club in May.
Although there has been criticism of Márquez holding both jobs, Chaubey the situation was not without precedent.
'I understand why that perception exists, but globally coaches like Alex Ferguson, Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat, and many others have held club and national roles simultaneously,' Chaubey said.
Shaji Prabhakaran, former general secretary of the AIFF, said that if India does not qualify for the Asian Cup, 'it would be catastrophic for the development of Indian football.'
India, ranked 127th by FIFA, is at the bottom of its group behind Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangladesh.
'We are the highest-ranked team of the four, but we are last and need to win all four of the games left,' Prabhakaran said.
Prabhakaran disagreed with Chaubey and said Márquez should not have held both national and FC Goa jobs.
'The responsibility for this situation lies with the people who took the decision to hire a coach with dual responsibilities,' Prabhakaran said. 'No coach can do two jobs at the same time, he has to work for the national team all the time and for the future of Indian football.'
Issues also at club level
That immediate future in India is looking uncertain at club level, too. The ISL, the top tier of the country's domestic system, was set to start its 12th season in September, but that has been put on hold.
The 15-year contract between AIFF and commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited, which runs the ISL, is due to expire at the end of 2025 but there has, as yet, been no agreement on a new deal.
India's Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on AIFF's constitution later in July, and has told the federation not to enter into negotiations until then.
Amid such uncertainty, only six of the 13 ISL teams have confirmed participation in the upcoming Durand Cup, Asia's oldest knockout competition, that starts later this month.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
'Most of the ISL teams have declined to play because they are not ready,' Arshad Shawl, chief executive of Real Kashmir FC, a club in the second tier I-league said. 'There is no clarity about next season and it is affecting the entire ecosystem.'
Prabhakaran believes that the ISL deal should not have been allowed to reach this point.
'This should have been sorted a year ago,' he said. 'Why wasn't it concluded? I don't know a country can be in a situation where we don't know if the league will happen.'
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
11 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Faith in Devil: New horse helps Jason Glass capture Strathmore Stampede crown
The Devil made him do it. Article content Or rather, a horse named Devil helped chuckwagon racing driver Jason Glass win his third Strathmore Stampede title on Monday afternoon. Article content Article content The 54-year-old reinsman from High River had a feeling that inserting a new grey horse into his lineup in Strathmore would pay dividends. Article content 'That was only his fourth race,' said Glass after he guided his Birchcliff Energy Inc. outfit around the Strathmore Stampede Grounds track on Monday in a speedy time of 1:13.94. 'He's going to be something special.' Article content Article content Glass also used Devil as his left wheeler on Saturday night when he locked down a spot in Monday's championship heat by finishing second in the aggregate standings behind Chanse Vigen's Blackstone Drilling Fluids Ltd. outfit. Article content Article content With his veteran lead team of Legit and Chaska up front and Indian joining Devil on the wheel, Glass crossed the finish line in the final just 91/100ths of a second ahead of Vigen, the defending Strathmore champion who was riding a hot streak of epic proportions having earned victories at both the Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby and the Battle of the Foothills in High River. Article content 'I have faith that he knows what he's doing,' said Glass of Devil, who fit in just fine with his fellow equine athletes. 'He likes what he's doing. He's comfortable. He's only a four-year-old horse, so I really don't even know what kind of run he has, but something told me he was ready and I drove him twice in High River. Sometimes you've got to gamble to outrun these other guys and I did.' Article content Article content Glass also put trust in outriders Trey MacGillivray, who rode Calm in the final, and Tyson Whitehead, who hopped atop Ed. Article content 'Hats off to those guys, they're great cowboys,' said Glass, who also gave a shoutout to Birchcliff Energy for their continued support. Article content Currently sitting atop the World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver standings with 992 points, Glass has had consistent performances from his veteran horses this season. But that hasn't stopped him from tinkering with his lineup. Article content Chasing fifth world title Article content '(Saturday) I drove two new horses that have only been in a couple of races,' he said. 'It's just what you have to do. You can't rely on the same older horses night after night. They feed off each other and if they're a little bit tired or one turns a little too soon in the top barrel, they're very smart. In my mind, you've got to keep shuffling it up and keep it fresh. When they start and they go straight, I drive better and I think it makes it easier. So they just need to go forward and fast.' Article content Speaking of someone who's consistently going fast this season, Glass commended Vigen for reigniting his passion for racing. Article content 'He's been flying for several years now and driving amazing,' Glass said. 'He's got some really talented horses that can really fly out there and I love that. That has woke me up and it changed the way I buy horses … everything. It always takes someone like that to step up, to make myself work even harder. I don't know if that's possible.' Article content After a slow start to the 2025 WPCA Pro Tour season, Vigen has moved up into second spot in the WPCA standings, just 21.5 points behind Glass, while a host of other drivers are within striking distance. Article content 'It's tight,' said Glass, who's in search of his fifth world title to add to the ones he won in 2000, '08, '09 and '12. 'I would say there's probably eight guys still that have a chance at winning the (season title). It's a very hard thing to do and it makes it fun for all the sponsors and all the workers around here, just everybody. I think everyone gets along pretty good around here, so it makes it interesting and it makes it fun. I've been doing this a long time and it never comes easy and I don't ever expect it to.' Article content Article content With only two shows left this season — the Battle of the North in Dawson Creek, B.C., from Wednesday through Sunday and the WPCA World Finals at the Battle of the Rockies in Rocky Mountain House from Aug. 13-17 — Glass knows he still has work left to do. Article content 'We only have 10 racing days left,' he said. 'It's a lot of points still up for grabs and a lot can happen as fans see from night to night. I always just think of my horses and put trust in them and try to drive the right ones off the right barrels (on) the right nights and just try to keep them ready. I don't worry about other guys too much. I respect everybody and I respect all the horses around here, so I just try to do my own thing.' Article content Fans can listen to live action every night from the Battle of the North on WPCA Radio starting at 7:30 p.m. on 96.5 The Ranch, or streaming options are available through the WPCA website at iHeart Radio website/app or the Radioplayer Canada website/app. Article content Article content WPCA World Standings Article content Article content Rank, Last week, Driver, Hometown (in Alberta unless otherwise indicated), Points Article content 1. (5) Jason Glass, High River, 992 2. (8) Chance Vigen, Calgary, 970.5 3. (6) Evan Salmond, Hudson Bay, Sask., 968.5 4. (3) Obrey Motowylo, Hoadley, 953.5 5. (1) Chad Fike, Cremona, 944 6. (4) Jamie Laboucane, St. Walburg, Sask., 923 7. (9) Layne MacGillivray, Coronation, 923 8. (2) Rae Croteau Jr., Rapid View, Sask., 865 9. (7) Kurt Bensmiller, Dewberry, 864.5 10. (11) Logan Gorst, Meadow Lake, Sask., 861.5 11. (12) Troy Dorchester, Westerose, 839.5 12. (13) Cruise Bensmiller, Dewberry, 836.5 13. (16) Luke Tournier, Duck Lake, Sask., 818.5 14. (10) Preston Faithful, Frog Lake First Nation, 803 15. (14) Troy Flad, Warburg, 793 16. (15) Kris Molle, Chauvin, 784.5 17. (17) Wade Salmond, Weekes, Sask., 727.5 18. (19) Ross Knight, St. Walburg, Sask., 724 19. (18) Jordie Fike, Blackie, 723.5 20. (21) Layne Flad, Bodo, 709.5 21. (20) Dayton Sutherland, DeWinton, 695 22. (23) D.J. King, Meadow Lake, Sask., 645.5 23. (22) Chance Flad, Arrowwood, 627 24. (25) Darcy Flad, Bodo, 624.5 25. (24) Dustin Gorst, Meadow Lake, Sask., 613.5 26. (28) Doug Irvine, Bonnyville, 586.5 27. (27) Chance Thomson, Buck Creek, 580 28. (26) Mitch Sutherland, Grande Prairie, 550 29. (31) Todd Baptiste, Red Pheasant CN, Sask., 547.5 30. (32) Evan Magee, Saskatoon 538 31. (30) Tuff Dreger, Grande Prairie 523 32. (29) Chance Bensmiller, Dewberry, 522 33. (33) Dean Dreger, Grande Prairie, 454 34. (34) Josh Hrynyk, Dewberry, 394 35. (35) Cody Ridsdale, Fairview, 356.5 36. (36) Roger Moore, Loon Lake, Sask. 333
Winnipeg Free Press
21 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fifth-tier Spanish club defends kit manager after online messages poked fun at his looks
MADRID (AP) — Fifth-division Spanish club Molinense has defended its kit manager after the announcement of his contract renewal went viral on social media and ignited a series of derogatory messages toward him. The club on Monday posted online that Pedro García was having his contract renewed for another season after 'more than a decade of hard work and passion for our shield.' The message came along with a photo of him wearing a cap and with his long beard and hair. There were more than 1 million views and tens of thousands of interactions on the post. There were hundreds of comments, many poking fun at his looks, but also some criticizing the derogatory attacks and praising the club and the kit manager. Molinense on Wednesday put out another post defending García. 'Our kit manager has gone viral, and it would have been even more if you knew about his hard work and heart,' the club said. 'We denounce some unfortunate comments, and thank the many messages of support that he received. You made the right person go viral.' A post allegedly made by García thanked the support messages. 'Thank you so much to everyone who mentioned me (and) for all of your comments, really,' it said. ___ AP soccer:
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Mohammad Siraj leads India to tie England in one of greatest cricket series
Shubman Gill of India celebrates after winning a match with teammates Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Getty Images India's out-of-this-world six-run victory in the finale at The Oval will go down in history as one of the greatest Tests ever played. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It was pure drama from start to finish and there was a packed stadium on the fifth day at the historic venue. Those in attendance and million others — including this columnist — who caught the action on the boob tube will have the thrills and spills of that fifth day forever etched in their minds. If you are an Indian fan, it was 56 minutes of pure heaven. And if you belonged to the home camp it would likely be 56 minutes of hell. But for a neutral fan this was cricket at its very best. This wasn't a Twenty20 bang-a-ball match, but a Test encounter and you would never know it — and we may never see anything like this again. India came back to grab this epic victory and force a 2-2 tie in one of the hardest, closest-fought series. It will be a summer that won't soon be forgotten soon as fans of the sport were treated to a rivalry that was so intense that it went down to the wire after nearly seven weeks of non-stop action. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. England, led by the mercurial Ben Stokes, and India, captained by 25-year-old newcomer Shubman Gill, went at it hammer and tongs and, in the end, it was probably fitting that these two finely tuned squads settled for a draw. What unfolded at The Oval on the fifth day was pure, sheer drama that will earn itself a place in sport's most prized moments. England arrived on the final day of a classic summer Test needing 35 runs with four wickets in hand in its chase of 374, but were blown away on a morning of unbearable tension and true sporting drama. India struck back to take those last four wickets for 28 runs thanks to the brilliance of pace bowler Mohammad Siraj. Siraj, who has had to toil in the shadows of superstar Jasprit Bumrah and Shami, finally made his mark and he will be feted by millions when he returns home. Siraj stamped his name in history with his third wicket of the morning, a gut-busting fifth of the innings and 23rd of the series. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Apart from Siraj's heroics, few will forget the brave Chris Woakes, who had his arm in a sling following dislocating his shoulder earlier in the game. He walked out in a desperate attempt to win before Siraj ended this series by uprooting Atkinson's stump with a yorker. 'It has been one of the all-time best Test matches,' England coach Brendon McCullum remarked. 'We turned up today with high hopes, but Mohammad Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match,' he added. Scores: India 224 (Karun Nair 57, Gus Atkinson five for 33) and 396 (Yashvasi Jaiswal 118, Josh Tongue five for 125) beat England 247 (Zak Crawley 64, Harry Brook 53) and 367 (Brook 111, Joe Root 105, Ben Duckett 54, Prasidh Krishna four for 62, Siraj four for 84). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fans will be disappointed there will be no Global T20 League in Brampton this August, instead action shifts to the iconic BC Place in Vancouver that will host the first-ever edition of the Canada Super 60 tournament in October. The official announcement that the Global T20 League would not be played here in 2025 was made two weeks ago by Patrick Brown, mayor of Brampton, but readers of this column were made aware of the cancellation in an exclusive story in Postmedia editions on May 18. What was unknown to Brown and others is that the International Cricket Council, the governing body of the sport, had refused to sanction the tournament. Read More This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Instead, Cricket Canada was to have staged the Canada Super 60 at the same CAA Centre in July, but that was shelved too as it apparently did not get the go-ahead from the ICC. Cricket Canada has been on ICC's radar for at least a year now since it installed Salman Khan as its CEO even though he was charged by Calgary Police with theft and fraud involving over $5,000 arising during his time with the Calgary and District Cricket League from 2014 to 2016. Two months ago, a high-powered ICC anti-corruption team spent two weeks in Toronto talking to several Cricket Canada officials regarding illegal betting, match-and-spot-fixing involving the national team. Meanwhile, Cricket Canada has roped in Yuvraj Singh, one of India's greatest batsmen, as its mouthpiece for the tournament. 'BC Place is not just a stadium; it's a theatre of dreams,' the former India World Cup star said. 'Vancouver is a city that thrives on nature, diversity, and culture — and cricket on the West Coast is going to ignite a whole new fan base.' It will be interesting to see how fans react to an indoor setting with shorter boundaries. One thing is for sure: There will be a glut of sixes being scored. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Canada World Toronto Maple Leafs Other Sports Columnists
